


Mode

by alcoholblastburner



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, but no graphic description, friends with benefits become lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:42:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alcoholblastburner/pseuds/alcoholblastburner
Summary: Gabriel made a deal with Moira for some reasons. It never occurred to him that he would be the entangled one who pour his heart into an interest relationship.
Relationships: Moira O'Deorain/Reaper | Gabriel Reyes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I 'm soooo happy to see you all again:) I finally survived the exam season, which means I can continue my translation work and enjoy the holiday now. Woo-hoo!  
> As usual, if there are any mistakes in it, please tell me. Your comments are welcome all the time!  
> Hope you all will like this story.

Gabriel stared at the ceiling. A gurgling sound of water from the bathroom suggested the presence of another person. He held out a hand to block out the light from overhead, but in vain.

How long have they been in this relationship? Gabriel searched his mind for the memory and soon found the answer.

It was a party less than a year ago, and he could remember neither what it was for nor who was at the party. The only thing that remained in his mind was Moira, drunk in the middle of the course. As a matter of course, the task of getting her back to her room fell to Gabriel, her commander, who hadn't taken a drop of alcohol. So, before the party was over, he carried unconscious Moira back to her dormitory.

Moira mumbled on his shoulder all the way, but Gabriel couldn't make out what she was saying and just wanted to get her to the destination as quickly as possible. Standing in the doorway of her room, he grabbed Moira's left hand impatiently, pressed it on the fingerprint lock, then pushed the door.

No mood to focus on the decorations of the room, Gabriel placed the person on his shoulder gently on the bed, ready to leave, but a little uneasy. After all, she was his men. He sighed, tried to find something to sober her up, only to be grabbed by a heated hand as he turned around.

He couldn't remember what exactly happened that night. The next morning he got out of bed with a vague feeling that something was wrong.

I don't have any pictures in my room. He stared at the decorative paintings on the wall, thought for a moment, but came up with no reasonable explanation. He reached aside, fumbled for his clothes, only to find a note.

The moment he saw the note, Gabriel sobered up.

There's no way he could have misidentified that handwriting. At the same time, he realized why he was in this bed.

As quickly as he could, he put on his scattered clothes, opened the door, and headed for his destination. Fortunately, the corridor was empty. The lab was a long way from the accommodation, but Gabriel knew a shortcut. Five minutes later, he stood in front of the lab, breathed deeply for several times then knocked on the door.

"Come in." The cool sound came through the door, but Gabriel felt it was just like an electric current running down his spine. He opened the door and saw Moira, as usual, studying the samples in her hand, with no expression on her face.

Seeing her nonchalant expression, were it not for the fact that he himself was a witness, he wouldn't believe what happened last night.

He was at a loss for words. To be honest, it was just a subconscious move for him to come here. He had no idea what to say when he saw her.

Damn it, he swore from the bottom of his heart.

Does he just come here to say, "It was an accident, let's forget it"?

It was clear that Moira knew his reason for rushing, but she seemed in no hurry to listen to his excuses. She just silently went through the tests, jotting down the datas, never looking at him from the moment he walked in the door, making him feel like a mass of dispensable air.

He finally broke the silence. "I think we need to talk about last night's... Things?"

At this, Moira eventually turned to Gabriel, her eyes still fixed on the sample in her hand. She sneered, as at a lame joke. "Are there anything need to be discuss? We both know exactly what happened last night, don't we?"

"Well..." Gabriel was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say, the words at which he usually spoke were like spells that had lost their magic. "I'm very --"

"No, I don't need to apologize." Moira sneered again, but this time she put down what she was carrying and walked straight up to Gabriel. The closer she got, the more she reminded Gabriel of what had happened in her room, on her bed. Finally, just as she was about to bump into herself, Moira stopped. Her purple veined right hand grabbed Gabriel's jaw, forcing him to raise his head and look at her mismatched eyes. Her sharp fingertips glided over Gabriel's skin, across his jaw, across his Adam's apple, and down to his arteries. He felt his heart beat faster.

"We'd better be honest to each other," she said with a playful smile. "I'll only ask you one question."

"Do you want to do it again?"

The sound of the water faded away, and Gabriel's wandering thoughts gathered again. He heard the door open and watched Moira come out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but the condensation on the ends of her hair. She stepped up to Gabriel, slowly picked up the clothes that were draped over the back of the chair and dressed them meticulously. Gabriel, sitting on his bed, looked at his partner's sleek, thin back, the protruding shoulder blades reminding him of the touch he still felt in his palm. He continued to look down and saw several lingering reddish finger marks, clearly created by his own just now. Moira turned around. The hickeys on her collarbone and neck stood out in the lamplight.

At such times he felt as if he was admiring a peculiar marble statue.

Of course, he didn't speak out, and Moira didn't care his view, too. As the last button was fastened, she was again the aloof geneticist named Moira O'Deorain.

"I go first." He watched Moira pick up her satchel on the table and leave the room without looking back, as if they had just come here for talking about their missions rather than satisfing their desires for sex.

Except their first night, they never spent an entire night together. Naturally, they cannot return to base during the day at the risk of being discovered. Gabriel often thought that he knew nothing about Moira O'Deorain. It was true that he knew the scientist side of the other, and the very different side that the other was showing in private as well -- he was sure that he was the only one in Blackwatch who had seen it -- but he still felt that he did not know her at all. Moira was just like a two-mode machine which automatically switches when the time comes, without a single delay or advance.

Well, maybe this was the relationship he wanted. Fixed time, fixed place, like a part of his normal daily life, not bring him anything unexpected. At least he was sure that they were mere colleagues in others' eyes. Moira had always lived in isolation, and he himself had never told anyone about this secret deal. Mccree might sense something, but he had no proof. Eliminating evidence without emotion is as simple to them as breathing. He thought of his exes who left nothing but a name in his memories, each time their relationship would end in a tangle. In this respect, it was perhaps because they both know what they mean to each other that their relationship became the longest of Gabriel's life. 

It was just an interest relationship.

His mind has been wandering for too long. He got out of bed and walked slowly into the still-steaming bathroom, turning on the shower, feeling the water flow through his fingers and temporarily washing the thoughts away. After a while, he turned off the tap, put on his clothes, and left the room in dark.

On his way to the laboratory, Gabriel met Mccree.

"Hey, commander." Mccree patted him casually on his shoulder. "Doctor again?"

"It's for work." He waved the paper, ignoring the hidden irony.

"Hmm, all right," Mccree shrugged, as if anticipating such an answer. "But to be honest commander, is there really no other connection between you two?"

"What made you wonder?" Gabriel raised her eyebrows and glanced at the young cowboy beside him, undeterred by his question.

"Just a hunch, but..." Mccree paused, shaking his head and letting go of Gabriel. "Well, just forget my question," he said. "Goodbye commander, have a nice day."

Gabriel looked at the retreating figure without knowing the cause of his question. Although Moira was invited by himself, he only visited her lab for work. But whatever Mccree could smell, he was confident their deal wouldn't be revealed.

As he thought, Gabriel had arrived at his destination. He knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an answer.

"Good morning, commander." Moira sat at her desk, hidding her thin frame behind the large screen.

He nodded as a greeting. "I've read your reports and applications," he said, laying the papers on her desk. "The things you asked for will be sent here in a few days."

"I believe with these materials, our research will make great progress."

"Looking forward to your results." Gabriel turned to the door. "By the way, I'm going on business next week, probably for a month."

"So... Let's change it into the twentieth of next month?" Moira looked at the screen and seemed to confirm her schedule.

"That’s okay." He waved his hand in agreement with the arrangement. The induction door opened in front of him and he walked straight out of the lab.

Yes, they are mere colleagues, that's all.


	2. Chapter 2

Things were somewhat out of his expectation. His month-long trip ended up being extended by ten full days, and he was drained by everyday nodding and shaking hands with those high-levels. More than once he wondered why Jack asked him to attend such a meeting while Gerrard was obviously a much better choice.

Maybe next time he should spend half a day explaining to him the difference between fishing for information and socializing.

But that was for him to consider later. He looked out of the window, only to see the warning lights on the wing flickering in total darkness. He glanced at the screen in front of him, it said it was nine o 'clock in the evening, and there was half an hour before landing. Then it would take him nearly an hour to get from the airport to the base, he calculated in mind, it seemed that he would be just in time.

There was no reason for him to be so nervous. As he had texted Moira before takeoff, even if he got there in time, she might not show up. Too much preoccupation with such relationship was always the first cause of all disillusion, Gabriel reminded himself, but still could not suppress his faint hope.

Something was not right. He should not expect anything from a pure interest relationship, from an unpredictable partner.

But he could not help but think of the smooth touch of her skin, the moans and hiss of her leaning over his ear, the red hair soaked in sweat and… 

Gabriel sighed, closed his eyes and leaned back, realizing that those were not what he was really thinking of.

He just wanted to see Moira in flesh.

And that was not a good news for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking this flight..." The sudden sound of a radio woked Gabriel up. He looked out of the window again, reminded of his position by the terminal's dazzling lights. He unbuckled his belt in one hand and pulled out his cell phone in the other. Perhaps the only good thing about business travel is not having to worry about luggage, he thought as he descended the gangway. Turning on his phone, a new message poped up and stop him.

It was from Moira.

He clicked on it with a bad feeling.

"Have to deal with the research tonight. Don't mind me." Short and clear, it was in her style, but poured cold water on Gabriel and calmed him down.

That was their relationship. Compared with their respective jobs, the regular monthly meetings were little more than entertainment, with or without making no difference.

At least it didn't make any difference to her.

The message was sent two hours ago. Perhaps she had arrived, Gabriel consoled himself, but his step was no longer light. He started the engine with a lack of interest, set the route, and unconsciously scanned their communication logs. As he remembered, everything was talked about in the same tone, without any emotional ups and downs. Apparently, of all the communication styles, she picked the one that saves time most.

Does she still speak in this way when she's not working? Or does she have another mode, a mode distinct from the two he had seen, but never being showed up in front of him?

As his mind filled with these irrelevant thoughts, Gabriel fidgeted and tossed the phone aside into the seat.

It never occurred to him that he would be so indecisive and entangled one day.

Not knowing how long after, the car stopped in front of an apartment. Gabriel got out of the car, watching it disappear around the corner. He turned and walked upstairs. He used to lived here for months, but when he found it inconvenient to work here, he moved back to the base and makde it his residence in another sense. He made his way to the door. The lock sensed his fingerprint and made a slight noise. It was dark and empty inside. Gabriel wasn't surprised, but still a little upset. As he entered the room, the light came on with his footsteps. He collapsed on the bed, looked up at the ceiling, and put out a hand to cover the light.

In vain, of course.

Perhaps the bed will perform its most basic function tonight. Gabriel rubbbed his hair, got up and walked to the bathroom.

Sitting on the bed, he opened the magazine in his hand for the sixth time. The hour hand had already crossed the red line of twelve o 'clock, and waves of weariness came over him. He gave up his magazines, which he could almost recite backwards, and let his thoughts wander.

What did he really think of her? Colleague, friend, or more? Moira's face came to his mind. Some were cold, some were playful, and the other were full of joy. Either way, he was fascinated.

But what about her? Did she think of him in the same way, or just regard him as a bed parter just like her exes? 

In perplexity, his consciousness gradually fell apart, and was no longer sufficient to sustain him. Gabriel finally gave up fighting his exhaustion and obediently closed his eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

When it was just light, Gabriel opened his dim eyes and the fatigue of the night had dissipated. It was time to go back. He was about to grab his clothes but encountered something unexpected.

The soft touch and the muffled hum at his side stopped his motion. He looked at the side of the bed only to find the familiar red hair buried between the quilt and the pillow.

He involuntarily held his breath.

When did she come in?

In any case, this situation was far beyond his expectations.

Even in her sleep, Moira still frowned, her expression was not soft, but no longer so aggressive. He hesitated for a moment, finally reached out, gently lifted the hair on Moira's face, pinned it behind her ear, then approached her cautiously.

He wanted to do something, but he didn't want to break this peaceful moment.

It was the first time he had ever kissed her cheek.

Maybe it would be nice to pass the day like this. No need for passion, even anything else.

As if feeling his gaze, Moira opened her eyes and looked into Gabriel's. Though not quite awake, she wore her familiar, haughty smile, but with something more that he could hardly distinguish.

"What makes you so happy?" There was a peculiar languor in her voice, so different from any he had ever heard.

So this is her third mode.

"Am I?" He put his hand over her smooth neck, saw her shrinking and giving a little groan. It was also a gesture he had never seen before.

"You're smiling. I can't see it, but I know." Gabriel felt a faint note of pride in her words.

"Sounds like you know me quite well." He did smile this time, and Moira nodded with satisfaction and pride, closed her eyes again, throwing her right arm around Gabriel like holding a giant pillow.

What a rare sight. Since they were together a year ago, he had never known Moira had such habit. She always showed only the side she wanted him to see. But today she brought him too much surprise, and he wanted to know more.

Gabriel gently seized the hand on his waist, gazing at the blue-purple veins on it. With sickly gray surrounding them, the veins ran upward from her fingertips, just like a mark she had left on her body and a testament to her years of hard work. Gabriel ran his fingers over the strange lines, softly but curiously. He had never asked her where they came from and how she feel with them -- curious though he was -- but even that was part of her charm. Bold but cautious, impulsive but cool, so contradictory, yet so in harmony with her. That's what he was attracted to.

A kiss, almost a pious kiss, landed on her wrist, where the blood vessels met. He slowly released his partner's hand, put it back in its place, and turned to get out of bed.

Smell of coffee stirred Moira's sleeping nerves, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and got up, seeing a figure approaching. The glare of the sun came into the room through a gap in the curtains and hit the man.

"Awake?" Gabriel put the thing on the table and looked down at her with arms akimbo. She nodded and yawned.

Why am I here?

Oh, she remembered.

"There is no need to wait for me."

"It doesn't matter." She looked up and saw, for the first time, that he was about to say something but stopped. Everything that had happened this morning felt fresh to her.

"I didn't know you made coffee."

"When it's part of your blood, you have to learn how to do it."

"Agree with you." She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Intuition told her that something was amiss, but she couldn't pinpoint the source of her feeling.

When she had finished washing and came out of the bathroom, Gabriel was standing by the window, looking out.

At that moment, she knew where the strange feeling came from. 

Gabriel turned his back to the sun, so that his expression was not visible.

"Moira," he said, with a certain seriousness in his voice, as if he were discussing something important, "What do you think… of our relationship?"

"What kind of answer do you want?" Moira can probably guess what he was thinking now.

At the moment this kind of getting along pattern and their relationship is really a little off. They shouldn't have been so close. At least she had never shared a bed with someone before just to rest and even woke up to find the other had prepared coffee.

"I'm serious, Moira," he repeated her name. "Do you think the status quo is just fine?"

She lapsed into a rare silence.

That's fine enough. She was about to blurt it out. This was how she has been getting through her life. She believed that only the interests was permanent. A relationship based on interests instead of emotion, though might break down one day, could save her a lot of unnecessary trouble.

But her heart yearned for the warmth of someone's arms.

Why did she still come here after the agreed time long ago? Why did she not choose to turn around and leave when she found the other party was already asleep?

Maybe that was the answer.

"If... if that's what you expect, "she weighed the wording," I don't mind going further."

Gabriel stared at her, saying nothing.

Was she wrong? Everything just her illusion?

Gabriel left the window and came towards her.

For the first time, Moira found herself unable to deduce what his next move would be. What would he say? What would he do? She didn't know at all.

In nervousness, she backed away until she reached the hard wall at the top behind her.

Gabriel stood less than a metre in front of her.

They had been much closer, but now, just looking at Gabriel's face in such distance, Moira felt her heart begin to race. Subconsciously, she put her left hand on her right arm, holding it tightly without feeling any pain.

She was waiting for him to speak.

"Moira." He called her name once again, pressing his hands on her shoulders.

Why can't he just get it over with?

"HMMM?" She answered, only to hide her nervousness.

"I want to see more of your modes."

"Modes?" She relaxed her grip and felt a sudden urge to laugh, which she did.

It seemed she was right.

"What are you laughing at?" As if not expecting this reaction, he let go of his hands and slowly stepped back.

"I thought you'd say something more..." Moira tried to find a suitable adjective, "Something more 'romantic'? You're supposed to be good at that, aren't you?"

"It's not the same as my job," said Gabriel with a smile in his voice as He relaxed his muscles at Moira's joke. "But I can try if you want to hear it."

"No, Gabriel." she put her hands around the nape of his neck, giving him a sly smile. "That's enough. I will show you."

She felt one hand on her waist and the other on the back of her head. Gabriel approached her, hesistantly, and a light, almost unreal, unrequited kiss, unlike any of the past, landed on her lips, for just one breath.

He released her quickly, and suddenly changed colour as if remembering something. "Well... should I make another cup of coffee?"

"That's all right. If we go back now, we may be able to enjoy coffee in the canteen."

He paused for a moment, then smiled with relief.

"Yes, you are right." He held out his hand to her. "Let's go."

**Author's Note:**

> I really want to see them two speculate about each other and hesitate to speak out their true feeling. Such subtle sense of distance is fantastic! Hope I can convey it to you!


End file.
